Living Anarchy
by thegirlwholivesmanylives
Summary: Clarian lives the normal life. Shes a working student pursuing a vet degree. A chance encounter with Jax Teller sends her life into a spiral she could have never imagined in her wildest dreams.
1. Chapter 1: An Encounter

I glanced down at the clock on my dash. 9:45 A.M. _God dammit. Damn it all the hell. I'm gonna be late and have to deal with all the other stuck up people judging me when I walk in the door. I'll miss the boring opening ceremony. I'm sure someone will bring up my tardiness._ With a deep sigh, I pulled down the visor and tucked back a loose strand of ginger hair that fell from my neat bun. I reached down to grab a bobby pin from my center console.

With a jolt, my steering wheel jerked violently to the right. My hands grasped the wheel, turning into the skid. I pulled the car into the shoulder of the road. I turned it off and shoved the door open. My black stilettos clicked against the faded pavement. I walked to the back of the car, spying the passenger side rear tire was completely flat. _Blown tire. Fantastic. Fucking fantastic._ I pulled open the trunk and shoved my duffle bag out of the way. The floor pulled up to expose my spare tire. After wrestling the jack out of its mold, I kneeled beside the tire and found the dock for the jack and set it in place with a few turns, not yet lifting the wheel. I undid the tool box screw on the trunk and pulled out the tire iron. I put it on the bolt and used my foot to kick it loose. _One down, four to go._ I wiped my forehead. It was really fucking hot. The sun was unsheltered in the California sky, as if mocking me. Glancing down, I saw dirt on my cream dress. _Fuck. I might as well get this tire on and go home._ I put the iron on the next bolt and kicked it as hard I could.

In the distance, I heard the exhaust of a motorcycle. I kept my head down and lined up to loosen the next bolt as it neared. The exhaust cut off. I turned to look behind me. A sturdy man with a stubbly face and shoulder length blonde hair removed his helmet and got off the bike. His leather jacket had patches on it. A pair of white sneakers were peeking out under his faded blue jeans. One patch on the chest caught my attention.

 _Men of Mayhem_. _What the hell does that mean?_

"Nice car," he said in friendly voice.

"Thanks," I huffed.

He took a step forward, "You know, these BMW wheels can be a real pain to get off the axel."

I stood back up and glared at him, "I know how to change a tire. I've done it plenty of times on this car. Thank you, but I'm fine."

He smirked on one side of his mouth. "I just think it would be a shame for you to get that nice dress all dirty with tire grease and road grime."

"Well thank you for your consideration but I'm just fine."

"You already said that," he chuckled.

I dropped the tire iron, the rod clanging to the pavement. "I don't need help. I'm not some helpless, clueless chick who doesn't know how to take care of herself or her car."

"I can see that."

I rolled my eyes and leaned down to turn the jack handle.

"You forgot a bolt," he grinned.

I looked down, seeing one of them I didn't loosen. I grumbled under my breath and put the iron on the bolt. I kicked it. No budge. I kicked it again. Nothing.

He looked like he was trying not to laugh. "Can I at least get that lug for you?"

I put on a fed up smile and glared at him, "Be my guest."

He walked up and with one pull the bolt loosened. He reached over and turned the handle, raising the car off the concrete. With no hesitation, he got the tire from the back and leaned it against the rear quarter panel. His hands, covered by open finger leather gloves, removed the lugs one by one. With the old wheel pulled off, he leaned under the car and looked around. He reached in and pulled at something.

"What are you doing," I demanded.

"I think you need some new brakes. Pretty soon too. Your pads are really worn down."

"I'll get them fixed when I get back."

"Where are you headed?" he mused.

I was so tired. "To a vet seminar."

"Oh, you're a tech?"

I almost growled. "No, I am _not_ a tech. I'm a student who is almost about to qualify for my doctoral."

"I'm sorry. I didn't know," he said as he reached for the new rim. With a grunt he placed the tire and adjusted it on the axel. "What brings you through Charming?"

"Charming? Is that what that little town I just passed was?"

He smiled and tilted his head with a laugh. He shook his head and put the lugs back in place.

"It's just on the way my phone told me to go."

"You would have been better off just sticking with the interstate about five miles north. Would have saved you about twenty minutes of driving," he said.

"I'll remember that on the way back," I grumbled.

He shook the wheel once and stood up. "All good."

I gave him a forced smile, "Thank you, uhh…"

"Jax," he said with a big grin.

 _Smug ass pretty boy._ "Jax. Thank you."

I walked around and opened the driver's door.

He followed and held the door open by leaning between it and the car frame. "What? I don't get to know your name?"

I smiled and kept my grip on the door handle. "Thanks for your help." I swiftly closed it and turned the car on. I pulled onto the road, glancing at him in my rearview. He turned to return to his Harley, and glanced back over his shoulder.

I shook my head and glared straight forward on the road. My knuckles tightened and I slammed the volume button with my thumb. The sounds of Billy Idol's "Rebel Yell" filled the small space. _That was weird. He was so fucking smug and full of himself. Ohh don't wanna get that dress dirty. Pig. I mean he didn't have to stop and help me. Probably does that anytime he sees any semi attractive girl on the side of the road. Probably looking for a pump and dump. That town was so fucking small. It was a lot like home._

I stopped myself. I turned the radio up even more.

 _In the midnight hour she cried more, more, more! With a rebel yell she cries more, more, more! More! More! More!_


	2. Chapter 2: Wrecked

_He had really strong looking hands. He probably spends hours working on that Harley. It sounded really nice. It's been years since I've been on a bike._

"Ms. Thomas?"

I crashed out of my daydream. The people around the table were all staring at me. The man across from me, Dr. Eckert read his placeholder, was in a hand tailored black suit and white high collar dress shirt. He seemed to have asked the question.

"I'm terribly sorry. I'm very tired from my drive. What was the question?"

"Oh, we were discussing the use of Prozac versus Fluoxetine to treat occasional anxiety in dogs when away from their owners. What has the success been for these in the clinic you operate?" Each pair of eyes at the table was piercing through me.

"Actually," I started, "I don't operate a clinic. I'm a graduate student in my last year doing fellowship under a series of veterinarians to complete my doctoral."

The man's lips pursed around his glass of scotch. "Hmm."

 _Fuck. Already put my foot in my mouth._ "We've had high success rates of Prozac, especially in small dogs once separated from an elderly family member. We treat with a small dosage for a few days and then reevaluate the effectiveness on anxiety. Most tend to return to normal eating within two doses."

"Interesting," he hummed.

A woman two seats away whispered in the ear of the woman beside her. The second woman's eyes grew big, and she covered her mouth to stifle a laugh.

I was incredibly uncomfortable and ready to return to my little one bedroom apartment and spend a few days locked away. The past few weeks had been entirely stressful in the clinic and any practical err was placed on me.

The roaring conversations were quieted with the smack of a gavel on the podium. A grey haired man with old rimmed glasses in a black and white suit was smiling at everyone from the stage.

"It has been a pleasure to meet and chat with all of you. Thank you to our honorable speakers for your incredibly fascinating presentations. I was particularly intrigued by the presentation of development of microbial colonies in the western chorus frog. Thank you all for your attendance. Please have safe travels on your different journeys back!"

As the others gathered their bags and said goodbyes, I knocked back the last of my wine. I took my purse from the back of my chair. I turned to leave, jolting as I realized a person was right in front of me.

"Whoa! Easy there Clair bear!" A pair of hands gripped my shoulders.

 _OH fuck. Fuck. Fuck._ I closed my eyes hard before tilting my chin up and looking into the eyes of Reese Calvert. His strong jaw line and grey eyes were only accentuated by his baby blue dress shirt and dark grey suit jacket.

"It's been too long, Clair bear," he pulled me into a tight hug.

"Reese, it's Clarian," I corrected.

He chucked, "Oh, come on. It hasn't been that long since we were sitting in your dorm room and I was teaching you all about muscular stimulation through electromyography."

I internally cringed at the memory. "Mm. It's been a long time."

He wasn't even fazed at my obvious downplay of the memory. "It's been great to see you. We should go for lunch sometime when I get back from Glasgow."

"Glasgow?" I pushed.

"Oh you didn't hear? I'm spending three weeks at the veterinary university there to assist in a new laboratory method on laminitis treatment in Irish sport horses."

"Hmm, very interesting."

"I'll give you a call when I get back," he winked at me and then turned to grab the shoulder of some older man and strike up an enthusiastic conversation.

 _Time to get the fuck out of here._

As I walked through the glass door, my skin was hit by the obvious temperature shift. The humidity had skyrocketed since I had went inside. Dark clouds were sparkling with heat lightning in the distance. I pulled my keys from my purse as I speed walked to my car. I slammed the driver's door behind me. I took a huge breath and closed my eyes as I slumped back against the car seat. With the key in the ignition, I put the car in reverse and put on my headlights.

The clock read 7:52 P.M. _Maybe if I take the interstate like that guy said I'll be home by midnight._ I followed the road signs to connect to the interstate. As I accelerated on the on ramp, small rain droplets began to fall onto my windshield. I flipped the windshield wipers on and settled into the drive. I liked driving in the rain. It was so calming to just drive with the sound of rain on the roof, watching the headlights go by.

The road lines were soon being blurred by the water pouring down. My wipers were on high and visibility was poor. I slowed from 75 to 60. I moved into the right lane to pass a slow Oldsmobile and the semi in front of it. I glanced at the trailer, my chest tightening as I could see the water spraying off, making my vision of the road even blurrier. As I neared the cab, a red Civic appeared in front the semi with a pickup truck in front of it. The Civic swerved into my lane, and I hit my brakes. I instantly hydroplaned. The little red car's brake lights came on, and I pushed my brake to the floor. The cab was illuminated. I realized too late that the Civic had hydroplaned and spun. Its front end smashed into mine. The sound of screaming metal echoed in my ears. It was an eternity before we came to a stop. I opened my eyes, seeing my door was crushed into the guardrail, and my passenger door was blocked by the Civic's front end. I was trapped. My dashboard was light up like a Christmas tree. Looking over at the Civic, I couldn't see the driver with the airbags still deflating. I looked around. _Mine didn't deploy._

The sound of sirens approached. In the rearview I could see the red and blue lights blurring with the rain still falling. Two police cars, a fire rescue, and an ambulance pulled up. One officer came running to my car. He jumped over a guardrail and shouted, "Are you hurt?"

I looked down. No blood. "I think I'm okay."

"We're gonna get you out as soon as we can. Don't move."

The fire rescue was already pushing the Civic away. An EMT pulled the passenger door open and told me he was going to secure a neck brace on me just in case. I knew there was no point in resisting. The EMT and a firefighter helped get me out. I had to sit in the back of the fire rescue truck as the other EMT looked me over. Luckily, I didn't seem to have any injuries. They told me it was very possible I could have signs of whiplash show up tomorrow or the day after. I promised to go the hospital if I had any pain.

The police officer who came to my door came over the truck and asked for my statement.

He said there would be an investigation into the accident. He went to return to his car.

"Excuse me, Officer…"

"Hale."

"Is the other driver OK?" I asked.

"They seem to be okay, but that's probably the alcohol," he said sternly.

"They were drunk?!"

"He had been drinking. Blew 1.2 on the breathalyzer." He turned again.

"Officer Hale? What about my car?"

"We've already got a tow truck on the way. They will pick you up and you can make arrangements from there."

I nodded. The EMT came back to remove my neck brace. A pair of flashing yellow lights pulled up and backed up to my car. It was a white ford truck with the letters TM on the door and a tan stripe down the side. Two men in tan mechanics shirts got out and looked around the car. The bigger one with a beanie on got back in the truck and backed the tow bar under the car. The other walked up to the sheriff deputy car and spoke for a moment. I got out of the truck and walked over to watch my car get hitched. The wind cut through my dress. I crossed my arms over my chest. My hair was already partially soaked.

"Hey, you shouldn't be standing here in the rain," said a voice behind me.

I turned around. Jax.

"Come on, come get in the truck," he said as he guided me over to the tow truck. He opened the door and I quickly got in. I realized how cold I was from the rain. He got in the driver's side and rolled down the window.

"Hey, Jax. I'm gonna wait for Tig with the other truck. This car's real fucked up. He's gonna need help to get it on the flatbed," said the man in the beanie.

"See you at the clubhouse, Ope."

He rolled the window back up and slowly pulled around. He reached over to the controls and turned the heat on.

"I didn't think I'd be seein' you again," he said.

"I didn't either," I said quietly.

"How'd that vet thing go?"

"Long. Boring. Where are we going?" I asked.

"Back to the shop. It's in Charming."

"Of course it is," I huffed.

The radio was quietly playing in the silence between us. It only seemed to drag on as the miles went by. A radio DJ said something I couldn't hear, but then another song started. I recognized the guitar line. I reached for the volume knob the same time he did.

"You like Floyd?" His face looked entirely shocked.

"Yeah, Money is my favorite song." I turned up the volume. I hummed the vocals under my breath.

"Mooooonneeyyyy. It's a hitttttttt. Don't give me that do goody good bulllshiiitttt," he loudly sang off key while looking at me. I couldn't help but laugh. "Oh, come on. There's gotta be more to you than this independent science side. You listen to Pink Floyd for God's sake."

"Clarian," I said quietly.

He look confused, "What?"

"My name is Clarian."

"Oh. Well it's nice to meet you, Clarian," he smiled.

Just as the rain started to let up, the truck turned into an open fence and pulled up to a large garage. A man with long shaggy hair and beard came up to the window of the building and glanced out.

"That's Bobby. He'll take care of you while I go put your car down."

"I need to grab my stuff though," I demanded.

"I'll grab it and bring it in when I bring in the keys," he said.

I sighed and got out of the truck and went into door held open by the man called Bobby. "Hi, are you Bobby?"

"The one and only. You're the pretty redhead with the BMW?" he joked.

"I guess so," I laughed. "Is there a hotel anywhere close?"

"Sorry, darlin'. The only place here is a little motel down off Main and unless you want to share the bed with some creepy crawlies and listen to loud sex next door I wouldn't dream of staying there."

"She could stay in the clubhouse. We got an extra room." I turned to see a man with a goatee and short curly black hair.

"You better ask Clay about that one, Tig," said Bobby.

"Ehh, come on. He won't mind. I'm more scared of Gemma than Clay anyway," he joked. The front door opened and Jax walked in with my duffle bag and purse. "What do ya think, Jax? She could stay in the spare room in the clubhouse for the night, eh?"

"Sure," Jax said. "Come on, I'll show you." He nodded to the door and I stepped out with him. We crossed the lot to a large metal building. He took me to a door, which lead in to a bar. A lot of guys with the same kind of leather jackets and vests Jax's had on earlier all looked up. I saw women in bras and booty shorts making out with guys, or running their hands on them. I knew my eyes must have been huge. Jax put one hand on my back and led me past a wall of mug shots to a long hallway of deep rich wood doors. "Here," he said as he pulled out a key when we reached the end of the hall. He opened the door and pushed it open. It was a small room with a bed, desk, and a bathroom. He put my bags on the bed. "If you need anything, I'm gonna be out there. Can I get you a drink or something?"

"No thank you. I'm just gonna go to bed."

"Alright, sleep well," he said shutting the door behind him.

I glanced around and kicked off my high heels. I walked into the bathroom, combing my tangled hair with my fingers in the mirror. My dress was drenched. I peeled it off and tossed it on the desk. My bra and underwear were still soaked too. I didn't have anything else. My bag only had some jeans and a tank top in it to wear on the way back if I got uncomfortable. I didn't think I'd be spending the night anywhere. A knock on the door jolted me. I quick grabbed a towel. "Who is it?"

"Hi," said a quiet voice. The door cracked open. "I'm Lyla. I was just gonna see if you were okay. I heard what happened and just wanted to see if you were alright."

"I'm good, thanks."

"Okay," the door began to close.

"Actually, Lyla?"

"Yeah?"

"I have nothing dry to sleep in. Do you have a t shirt or something? Sorry to ask."

I could hear a smile in her voice even though I couldn't see her face. "No problem. I'll be right back."

I waited on the edge of the bed. A moment later there was another knock.

"Can I come in?" Lyla asked.

"Yeah," I sighed, towel still wrapped around me.

A skinny, attractive woman with long blonde curls stepped into the room. "Here. I figured you probably needed some other stuff. You don't look like the girl who's into lingerie so got you some panties and a small t shirt. I hope it's okay."

I could see she obviously had a very kind heart. "That's actually great. I really appreciate it."

"Don't worry, everything's clean," she laughed. "When you practically live in a biker bar, you always have girls who can't find their panties so I always keep some new ones around in case."

I didn't really know how to respond to that. I just awkwardly laughed.

"I'm sorry. You probably wanna sleep," she said flustered. "I'll leave you alone."

"Thank you, for everything," I said.

She smiled warmly, "Sure. Sleep well."

I walked over to the door and turned the lock on the knob. I pulled off my wet clothes and pulled on the shirt and panties (after a quick inspection). The black shirt said "Sons of Anarchy" and had what looked to be the grim reaper on it. _What the hell is this?_ I didn't even care. I was too tired to give a shit. I just wanted to go to bed and hope this whole thing was one big nightmare and that I would wake up in my little apartment in the morning. _If only_. I plopped down on the bed and pulled back the blanket. The pillows weren't very plumped, but it was a biker bar. _Eww. Who even knows what has or who has been in these beds?_ I shook the thought. _Go to sleep._


	3. Chapter 3: Totaled

My eyes felt like sandpaper. I rolled onto my back and stared at the dirty ceiling. _I was hoping this was just a bad dream. Of course not_. I looked over to the desk and saw my duffle bag. I couldn't help but grumble as I rose from the rickety old bed. My back and shoulders would have been better off sleeping on the floor. I didn't even want to think about how awful I probably looked. I pulled off the shirt and couldn't help but feel relieved as I put on my black cotton tank top. It was refreshing to have the smell of my home blanketing me. I pulled on my denim faded skinny jeans. I was instantly calmer now that I had all my own clothes on. I decided it was probably best to make sure I didn't look entirely dead.

The bathroom didn't look as awful as it had in darkness. The mirror was dirty, but I was able to comb through my long curly hair with my fingers and wipe off the smudged eyeliner under my eyes. I turned and grabbed my bag, eager to leave this all behind. At the door, I only cracked it and peaked out. I didn't hear anything. Deciding it must have been safe, I snuck out and closed the door as quietly as possible. I wasn't as lucky as I thought.

An older woman dressed in blue jeans and a black long sleeve with rhinestones on it. You could see that she had definitely lived a difficult life. She had a pair of glasses set low on her nose. Her focus was set on a stack of papers on the bar, her glossy black nails on her left hand tapped against the wood. She sighed and removed her glasses, placing a hand on her forehead. Do I dare walk past her? Should I just go back to the room? Once again, I didn't get to decide.

A hand rested on my shoulder, "Good morning, darling. Want some coffee?"

I turned to see the guy with the long hair and beard from the office last night. I think his name was Bob. "Oh, good morning. And thanks, but I really should get going," I said.

"You ain't goin' anywhere with that little car. That thing ain't gonna drive for at least a week or more. Was gonna talk with you later about the repairs," he said as he grabbed a pot of coffee. He poured out three mugs, sliding one to me and one to the woman at the bar.

"Thanks, Bobby," the woman said quietly. She turned and looked at me, but her gaze was piercing. It was like she was analyzing my soul. "What's your name, sweetheart?"

"Clarian," I said with a quiet smile.

"Clarian what?" she pushed, as she sipped her coffee.

"Thomas."

"You're not from around here." It wasn't a question.

I nodded my head, "Napa."

"Wine country," she said with a smile. "More of a whiskey girl, myself." She stirred her coffee. "I'm guessing you're the one that has the little Beemer out there?"

I nodded my head as I took a seat at the bar next to her. I sighed, "Yeah."

Bobby passed a sugar bowl and powder creamer to me, "There's a pretty long list of stuff you need done to it. Ain't gonna be cheap. We can go over to the office when you want and we can talk."

"We need to talk about some stuff too," the woman said as she looked at Bobby.

He nodded his head, "Yes, ma'am."

The man with the curly hair and go-tee walked in with a shop-rag in his hand. "Hey, Gemma. Clay said he needs you to run down to Unser's and- Oh. Sorry. He's in the shop."

The woman got up, "Okay, Tig. I'll take care of it." She gave him a kiss on the cheek and walked out the door.

"Aye Bobby, got that car checked out. Called Mick and he said he's got a car to pull from out by Vegas. Said he can scrap parts and take care of our other order," Tig said.

Bobby looked over, "Alright, get down all the prices and let the Prince know when he gets up," his voice dripping in sarcasm.

Tig laughed at him and walked back out the door. Bobby motioned to me, so I followed him outside. The sun almost blinded me, but the warmth felt great on my skin. The doors were all up on the garage building, but I almost dropped to my knees when I saw my car on the lift. The hood was bent at least 8 inches upward, the front quarter panel completely crumpled, my front passenger rim was on the ground and bent alongside by bumper. Bobby glanced at me. He placed a hand on the small of my back.

"Come on, we can go over everything."

We walked into the office and he took a seat at the desk, picking up his glasses. He had a stack of papers in front of him. After sorting through them for a moment, he pulled out a few sheets and glanced them over. Tig walked in front the shop and handed him another sheet. Bobby's brows furrowed.

"Well, it's not a cheap fix. You've got frame damage on the right side by the engine, that panel and door will need replaced, along with the hood, front bumper, nose, and lights. You've also got radiator damage and you need new brakes. You might just wanna take it as a total sweetheart."

"How much would it be to fix?" I asked.

"One sec," he said as he pulled a calculator from the top drawer. He punched in some numbers. "At least four or five grand in parts alone. With labor, you're looking almost seven or eight grand. It's a lot of work to replace all the body pieces, fix the frame and front end, and then paint and take care of the mechanical problems."

I felt destroyed. I sighed, "Alright. I'll call my insurance and see if it is a total or not."

"Alright, just let me know. We'll pull it off the lift and put it back in the lot under a cover."

I heard multiple motorcycles coming down the road. I turned to see Jax and two others pulling into the lot on black Harleys. They each turned and backed their bikes up into a long line of other bikes already parked. He took off his helmet and shook his long hair out, before placing his helmet on the handlebars. I thanked Bobby and walked out the office door and over to my car as Tig lowered it to the shop floor. I ran a hand on the white bent hood. My chest felt empty.

"What's the verdict?"

I turned to see Jax walking up. He pulled off his fingerless gloves and looked at Tig. Tig glanced over to me.

"Not very good," he said quietly.

Jax walked around the car once before stopping next to me. "Yeah, she looks pretty bad."

"I can see that," I huffed.

"Come on, why don't we go get some breakfast or something? You can worry about this later."

I didn't really want to, but my stomach was practically eating itself. "Let me call my insurance agent and at least get this process going." I pulled out my iphone and found the number for the insurance company. I spoke with my agent, who said they would call the Charming police department for the detailed accident report. The part that made me grimace was when my agent said it could be a few days before someone could come down to assess the damages. I didn't even want to think about being here even a few more hours, definitely not a few more days. "Let's go," I grumbled.

"Alright." Jax pulled his gloves out.

"Um, what are you doing?"

"Well, unless you wanna ride in a black windowless parts van all I've got is my bike. Juice is out on a tow so we don't have the other truck. Come on, I'll get you a bucket."

"A what?" I pushed.

"Helmet. We call 'em brain buckets," he laughed as he tossed me a helmet. He stepped onto the bike and pushed up his stand. "Come on."

I considered it. _This is a horrible idea. You have no idea what kind of driver he is. Oh come on, this could be fun._ What the hell. I walked over and climbed onto the back of the bike. I clipped the chin strap.

Jax fired up the bike, I was almost deafened by the sound of it revving. "I'd get a grip if I was you."

I didn't understand what he meant, until he launched off and I quickly grabbed onto his vest. He hit the brake, and I could hear him chuckling to himself. _Asshole_. He reached a hand down and pulled one of my hands around his waist. I wrapped both arms around him, and we took off out of the lot and drove down the road.


	4. Chapter 4: Making Friends

It had been such a long time since I had been on a motorcycle. Growing up, my dad had a Harley and he would drive around the block by our house real slow and let me sit in front of him with my little mini helmet. When I got a bit bigger, I got to hold onto him from the back seat. All of that ended when my dad got into a wreck. He lived, but never rode again. His Harley Sportster was totaled, and he was in the hospital for a few weeks with broken ribs and a fractured hip. I'd never been on a motorcycle that wasn't being driven by my dad. I held on a little tighter to Jax. I peeked over his shoulder, feeling the wind really brush my hair. We turned onto a main road, and Jax's blonde hair was blown into my face. I took a deep breath, drinking in the smell of cologne and mechanic's grease. The ride didn't last long enough. We pulled up to a small row of buildings, each with a little colored awning above the door. Jax turned off the engine and pushed the stand down with his foot. The bike leaned down to the left side. I slowly uncurled my arms from his torso. He held up a hand on the left side. I put my hand on his and stepped off the bike. I took off the helmet and handed it to him as he got off.

We walked up to the little restaurant front, and I was shocked when Jax opened the door for me. I mumbled a thank you under my breath and stepped in.

A younger black haired waitress walked up to us, "Hi Jax. Two?" she asked.

"Yep," he said. We followed her over to a little booth. She placed our menus in front of us, as we sat on opposite sides. "Thanks, Tania."

"Coffee?" she asked, looking at Jax.

"Yes, please," he sighed.

She glanced over at me. "I'll take a sweet tea," I smiled.

She turned and walked back behind the counter. I picked up a menu and skimmed through the two pages. It reminded me so much of the little town I grew up in. This was an "everyone-knew-everyone" town. People grew up for generations knowing each other. I felt my harsh façade crumble.

"Breakfast skillets pretty good," he said as he slid his menu back to the table edge.

I gave him a smile, "I'm probably just gonna get something small. I'm not too hungry."

"Are you sure? Get whatever you want."

"I'm sure," I said politely. He looked annoyed.

The waitress came back with our drinks. "Okay, one coffee and a sweet tea. What can I get you to eat?"

"I'll just have toast with some mixed berry jelly, please," I said.

"Two breakfast skillets, no onion," Jax said. I glared across the table at him.

The waitress didn't notice the obvious tension there, and returned to the kitchen.

"I said I didn't want anything else."

He leaned back into his seat, "You'll thank me later."

 _He's so cocky. He must be used to getting all the girls around here. He looked like a fucking model. That long blonde hair, that stumbly chin and blue eyes. His sturdy jaw and-_ _ **stop**_ _. You have plans and they do_ not _involve_ him. "So, Dr. Clarian…"

"Just Clarian. I'm not a doctor, yet."

He nodded, "Okay, just Clarian. Where are you from?"

"I live in Napa," I said as I sipped my tea.

"That's not what I mean, I mean where do you come from?"

I paused. What does it matter to him? "Indiana. An hour and a half south of Indianapolis."

"What brought you out here?"

"What brought you here?" I pushed.

"Born and raised in Charming," he smiled.

"Then you wouldn't understand."

"Understand what?"

I sighed, "Needing to get the fuck out of your hometown."

He seemed taken back that I cussed. "Oh, I understand that plenty. What made you want to leave?"

"Everything. The west seemed like a good idea. Did my undergrad at university of Colorado. Moved to California for my graduate and doctoral."

"Interesting."

Our waitress arrived with two skillets and a plate of toast. "Here you go, anything else?"

"No thanks," Jax said with that pretty boy smile. He must know that he's got an effect on the women around here. You can't just say no to a face like that. He handed me a rolled set of silverware and pushed a skillet in front of me. "At least try it. Best damn thing around here."

I rolled my eyes and took a bite of my toast.

"Aww, come on," he teased.

I really just wanted to wipe that look off his face, so I pulled the fork out and stabbed a chunk of hash browns and sausage. It was actually really good. "Fine, you're right."

"You seem like the kinda girl who doesn't say that often."

"I'm not."

"Anyone ever told you you've got an attitude?" he laughed.

I glared at him. "Haven't you ever heard not to piss off a redhead?"

"Maybe, but I like living life on the edge."

"What's up with the matching jackets?" I asked.

"Oh the vest?" He smirked, "You wouldn't understand."

I laughed, "What are you part of a cult?"

He looked at the table, and had a slight smile on one side of his face, "Nah." His phone began to ring. He pulled an old flip phone out of his vest. "Yeah." His eye brows crushed together into a flat line. "He did what? Are you sure?...Positive?" He let out a deep sigh. "Fine. I'll handle it." He flipped the phone shut.

"Everything alright?" I asked.

"Got a…problem at work. I need to get back. Come on," he said as he threw a twenty on the table.

I jumped up and followed him out to the motorcycle. He passed me the helmet and I stepped over the back. He was in a rush for something. I didn't even have my helmet totally secure before he turned on the engine and turned us around on the street heading back to the shop. I'm guessing the drive back was less than half the time it took to get there originally. He stopped in front of the bar building and kicked the stand down angrily. I got off and he was already striding over to the building's door before I even had my helmet off. I started to follow him, but a gloved hand stopped me.

"Aye, I'd stop right there if I was ya. Jacky boy's a little heated right now," said a thick Irish accent. I turned to see a man with greying hair and scars running from his mouth on either side. I knew my eyes must have doubled in size as I took in the marks. He had the same vest on. "Why don't you come with me for a minute while he handles an issue?"

I just nodded and walked with the man, who turned to glance behind us.

A guy with a shaved Mohawk and tattoos on the sides of it walked up. "Hey Chibbs, I got that car from Wood street, but the hook locked up, can you give me a hand?"

"Sure thing, Juicey." I was beyond confused. The other guy looked confused too. The older man looked to the younger. "She's with Jax."

"Ahh, gotcha. I'm Juice," the younger man said as he held out a black covered hand. "Oh, whoops. Sorry. Nice to meet you." He glanced to the older man.

"Let's check that hook," the man said. "Oh, sorry, I didn't get ya name."

"Clarian," I said politely.

"Chibbs," he said with a smile.

What weird names? Tig? Juice? Chibbs? Just then I heard a metal door slam. Some guy came walking out of the bar with blood coming out of his nose. He had the vest on but only one patch. Looked like prospect. A moment later Jax walked out of the club house.

"Juice, watch that one. If he even goes near the bar again you call me," he growled.

"Shit-faced at 10AM ain't no new story, even fer me, but ya gotta have some control. Idiot's gonna drown himself with that shit," Chibbs said sternly.

"We all know you don't drink on duty," Jax mumbled.

I didn't dare question it. This side of him was almost frightening. I could see he obviously had two sides, the handsome teddy-bear and the frightening biker. I wasn't sure just how frightening that blood ran.

"Why don't you and Lyla hang out while we go out on a parts delivery?" Jax asked.

"Um…sure," I said.

Jax nodded to Juice. He raised his brows and held out an arm toward the silver car that just pulled in.

"Hey, Lyla. Why don't you take Clarian out for a while and go do something?" Juice asked.

She smiled warmly, "Sure, I was just gonna stop by and let Ope know I'm gonna be prepping for a shoot tomorrow. I was just on my way to get my nails done. You can come with and get yours done too."

"That sounds really nice, actually. Thank you."

"Come on, let's get away from the testosterone factory for a while," she said as she grabbed my hand and led me over to the car.

I took one more look at Jax who was putting a large wood crate in the back of a van. _God damn_. I shook my head and stepped into the car, savoring the idea of how nice his arms must be.


	5. Chapter 5: The Industry

Lyla drove us to a little nail salon, where we were greeted by a busty blonde with ringlet curls.

"Oh, don't you look gorgeous, doll!" the woman said as she pranced forward in her four inch heels to hug Lyla, "And who's this?"

"This is Clarian, she's in town for a few days while her car is being fixed," Lyla smiled.

"Clair," I said as I shook the woman's hand.

The woman grabbed my hand and began inspecting my nails. "Oh, honey. You need some serious work on these. Don't you take care of these?"

My face flushed red, "I'm an assistant vet, so I don't have time to ever get them done."

"Sweetheart, you're in for a treat then. Come on, Margret will take care of you," she said as she led us back to two side by side pink vintage desks. "Margy! Come on! We got work ta do!"

Another busty woman with short brown hair came out of the back room with a coffee cup in her hand. "Cherie, you know I need my morning coffee before I can do anything."

"Bullshit, it's 11:30, it ain't morning coffee anymore. That's your third cup anyway. Everyone knows you spent the night at the bar with one of them Sons and probably just got a hangover."

Lyla rolled her perfectly lined eyes. "Which one?"

"I'm not sure, some Prospect," she mumbled.

"Not even a real Son? You got down with a Prospect?" Cherie said with annoyance.

Margret rolled her eyes, "Who cares, he said he's getting sworn in in a few weeks."

"Sure, sure," Cherie teased.

"Sorry to intrude, but…a Son?" I asked.

Lyla sighed, "Sons of Anarchy. That's the biker club that my husband Opie and Jax are in."

"I'm not following."

She looked down and said to me, "They have a reputation, a sort of bad one. Drinking, fights, sex, and some illegal stuff, but most of it is rumor. They are great guys, Opie has been the father my Piper needed, and he's a great dad to his own kids. I know the other guys will always be there for him or for me or the kids. It's a big family, but people in this town don't like them because of some underground stuff."

The two women returned with little bags of nail care stuff. They got started on filing and shaping our nails, as they gossiped about the latest town drama. I wasn't really paying any attention until I caught a new conversation.

"So, Lyla, how is the entertainment industry?" Cherie chirped.

Lyla's face went red. "Good. A little slow right now, so Opie's been picking up extra shifts at TM."

"And the other girls? Ya still working together?"

"Not so much. We have a potential deal with a Japanese film maker, but Opie doesn't like the conditions. I know he's jealous and protective, but it's part of my job. It's kind of hurting my ability to get jobs now. I can't really blame him though."

The conversation drifted off into something about someone from Charming. Margret finished my nails as Cherie was just reapplying Lyla's acrylic nails. My phone rang, so I got up and stepped outside.

"Hello?"

"Ms. Thomas?"

"Yes, speaking."

"This is Jeff from Carter Insurance. How are you today?"

"I'm alright. Any news on my claim?" I asked.

"Well, at the moment, we won't be able to get an adjuster out until Wednesday or Thursday."

"Wednesday or Thursday," I almost yelled. "That's four days away! What am I supposed to do?"

He cleared his throat, "Well, Ms. Thomas, we can arrange for a rental car, or a bus tick-"

"A bus ticket?!"

"It's just an opti-"

"That's not an option. Get me a rental. Not some junker either, I expect a car as nice as mine."

"Okay, Ma'am, we will have one out by Monday or Tue-"

I hung up the fine. "Motherfucker," I mumbled. I walked back inside and took a seat against the wall. Lyla turned to look at me.

"Is everything alright?"

"They can't get someone out to look at my car until Wednesday and they can't get me a rental until Monday."

"Oh, I'm sorry. I'm sure you will be welcome at the clubhouse. I don't see anyone kicking you out. Like I said, family," she reassured. She got up and pulled out a banded stack of cash. She pulled out four twenty dollar bills and placed them on the desk. "Thanks, ladies. Come on, Clair, let's head back."

We walked out and got back in her car. I was insanely curious. She pulled onto the road. "Um, Lyla, can I ask you something?"

"Um, sure."

"I couldn't help but overhear, are you a-"

"Porn star? Yeah." There wasn't any regret in her voice, but she didn't sound happy about it either.

"Oh, I hope you don't think I-"

"Don't worry about it. I've been called everything you can think of. I started doing it for money. Fast and easy way to get money for my kid. They aren't cheap. I don't mind it either. I make a lot of money in a very short time. It's just more difficult when you have a husband."

"So, Opie isn't okay with it?"

"He knew what he was getting into…literally," she blushed. "He wants me to only do girl on girl stuff. Two friends of mine and I are part of a film set that got big in Japan. Three sexy blondes all together, that stuff is huge in the Japanese porn market. Men and women over there are totally into it. But the new contract that we were offered would involve us three and a guy, and that means all three of us. Not two involved and one on the side. It's a huge deal and could really increase my client base, plus the kind of money I'll make just on appearances."

"That's insane."

Lyla laughed. "I don't see you as the porn accepting type."

"Ehh, you'd be surprised. Sometimes you need a little extra, you know…stimulation," I laughed.

She laughed too, "Ya know, men go crazy for redheads. I tried it for a while but you know a real and fake pretty easy."

"I'll keep that in mind," I smiled.

"So do you have a man?" she asked.

I sighed, "It's been a long time."

She turned and looked me. "Are you kidding me? You're gorgeous, girl. I'm surprised men aren't crawling all over you."

I scoffed, "Far from it. Soon to be vet, living in a one bedroom apartment who prefers dogs and books to people. Oh yeah, real knockout."

"I mean it, Clair!" she said with a nudge. "Trust me, I see nothing but other girls all day. You are a natural. You don't need the lashes and everything. Men like the porn star stuff but at the end of the day, just want a natural beauty…like you."

"Thanks, Lyla."

We pulled into the shop just as Jax was taking off his helmet. I got out of the car, saying thank you to Lyla. I walked up to the cover that was on my car. I pulled it back and tried to open the door.

"You'll need the keys, sweetheart," Jax called to me.

I rolled my eyes. He walked into the shop and returned back with my keys. He placed them in my hand and looked intensely at my face for a moment, his hand still on top of mine. I grabbed the key and turned back to the car, my face fire red. I opened the door and reached into the glove box. I pulled out the fuse box and grabbed the money that was hidden behind it. I stuffed it in my back pocket and got back out.

"What's the cash for?" he pushed.

"Well, looks like I'm stuck here until Monday, so I need to go get myself some other clothes. Is there a store or something around here?"

He looked back to the shop, "Yeah, Gemma goes to some place up by the square. I've gotta go out on another parts delivery in an hour."

"Can you at least drop me off or something?" I asked.

"Yeah. Come on."


	6. Chapter 6: Temper

Jax drove me over to the little boutique in town and said someone would come and pick me up. He gave me a flip phone and said to just hit 3 on the speed dial to get ahold of him. I walked in the dimly lit store and was greeted by an older woman behind the counter. I skimmed around, picking out two pairs of blue jeans shorts that were to my knees (one with rhinestones on the pockets, one with lace on the sides), a pair of flip flops, a royal blue tee shirt, and a grey tee shirt. It ended up being around $30 total. I would have to ask Lyla where I could get some other clothes around here. It wasn't very far back to the shop so I decided to walk. It was a beautiful day out, and I was much more comfortable to walk since I had put on the cowboy boots that were in my car. I would have died walking in those high heels.

I passed brick front shops. The town seemed stuck in a different time. Everything was much simpler and rustic. Nothing was new or shiny. I passed a small flower shop, with beautiful white roses in the window. I wasn't paying attention as I walked to the corner and ran into someone.

"Oh! I'm so sorry," I said as I rushed to grab my two bags from the sidewalk. I glanced up, recognizing the officer from last night. "Oh, Officer Hale, right?"

"Yes. I actually was just thinking about you. I hear you are staying at the Teller-Morrow biker bar?"

"Word gets around fast here, doesn't it?" I laughed.

"Yes, well, I wouldn't recommend staying around there. I can help you find arrangements," he pushed.

"I'm fine, thank you. I'm just staying until Monday."

I turned to walk across the street, hearing him mumble, "I hope."

 _What is his deal? Something isn't adding up here. I get not liking bikers, but there's something else. Maybe it's just that old police hate outlaws thing. It doesn't feel like just that._

I just kept walking. It felt good to just get out. I didn't feel like a caged animal, although I basically was just roaming a larger enclosure. I felt like I was being watched. It was unnerving. I glanced behind me. I saw a man walking behind me. He was an older man, almost bald. He had a bunch of tattoos, but with only a glance I couldn't make them out. I began to walk faster. I didn't dare look behind me. I glanced at a storefront window, and got a look again. He had a white tank top and blue jeans. I heard the footsteps get closer.

A hand grabbed my shoulder. I was jerked to a halt. The man had turned me to look at him. The first thing I saw was a Nazi symbol on his neck.

"Oh, sorry. I thought you were someone else!" He laughed. "I haven't seen you around before."

"Mhm," I smiled.

"What's a pretty thing like you doing around here?" he said as he licked his lips once.

"I'm just…uhh, I,"

I heard motorcycles. I turned to see Jax and two others pull up. I recognized Chibbs, but not the other. Jax's face looked smug as he walked up. "Aye, Darby." He came up and put an arm around me, "Hey, darlin'". He planted a firm kiss on my cheek. "I thought I was gonna pick you up from shopping? Did you get yourself something nice?"

My skin was on fire, but I instantly caught on that he was purposely making a show. The way this man made my skin crawl, I played along gratefully. "Oh, it's just _so_ beautiful out. I just wanted to enjoy the sun."

"Of course. Why don't you let me drive you back and we can go get some dinner?" he said.

"Great," I said with a big smile. "I was just talking to… Sorry I didn't catch your name?"

"Darby," he said with forced grin. "Where'd you find this gem?"

Jax chuckled, "This angel just fell into my lap."

Darby nodded his head. "I see."

"Come on, sweetheart. Let's get going. Nice seeing you, Darby."

I smiled and waved, Jax keeping his arm around my waist. He handed me a helmet and climbed on his bike, holding out his hand again and pulling me on. I wrapped my arms around his waist and nuzzled my head into his shoulder. He revved the engine a few times and we pulled out. I breathed a sigh of relief as we drove farther away. I was thankful Jax had perfect timing, because I had terrible vibes from that guy. We pulled into the garage lot and Jax backed the bike against the curb. I got off and removed my helmet.

He pulled his helmet off, his jaw set. I could tell he wasn't happy. "What the hell were you thinking? I thought I told you to call me or wait for one of us?" His blue eyes pierced into mine.

"I didn't think there would be anything bad that could happen on a short walk back here. It was a nice day and I just wanted to get out without being a dog on a leash for god's sake."

"You don't know your way around here and you don't know the people here," he seethed.

"I'm starting to see why everyone around here is scared to see you guys, you have such a temper!"

This seemed to light a fire. "You **don't** understand what happens in Charming."

"You act like the goddamn mob is running the streets!" I yelled.

His face went into an angry smile, "You don't know what you're talking about."

I was fed up. I threw the helmet at him. I turned on my heel and stormed into the clubhouse, slamming the door behind me.

"Hey Clarian, can I-," Bobby started.

Tig placed a hand on his chest as I walked past. I heard him whisper, "Don't approach a fired up redhead, you'll just get burned."

I stopped and glared at them, then stomped back to the room. I grabbed my stuff and shoved it in the duffle bag. I stormed into the bathroom, getting a look at my eyes, seeing tears forming.

"God, fucking, damnit!" I yelled as I shoved the soap dish off the sink. It shattered on the floor. I was fucking done. I sank to the floor. I was miserable here. I just wanted to go home. I missed my bed, my home, and my humdrum life. _Oh god, I missed work today._ I glanced at the clock beside the bed, 3:00. The vet office closed at noon since it was Saturday. They would be closed tomorrow and expecting me to come in and take care of the animals. I was fucked. I grabbed my phone and called the office, getting the answering machine. "Dr. Morrison and Dr. Abernard, this is Clarian Thomas. I'm so sorry I missed my shift today. I was involved in a serious vehicle accident on the interstate last night and I'm stuck in some town named Charming in Southern California until I can get a rental on Monday morning. I promise I'll make it up. Please call me back on my cell phone."

I felt empty. I needed a distraction. I went to the bed and picked up the bag with the shorts in it. I carried it to the desk and pulled some scissors out of the drawer. I chopped off the long pant legs. I found some black thread and a sewing needle in the desk and used them to make a stitch on the shorts to secure the rolled bottoms. I then turned my attention to the two shirts. I cut the sleeves off both, making one a destressed racer back, and the other a cutoff with an open back. I couldn't wear them the way they were. After some sewing, they looked wearable. I stripped off my tank top and removed my jeans, struggling since I had sweated so much in them in the heat. I pulled my hair out of the ponytail I'd put it in. I dumped my head over and ran my fingers through the tangles.

The door opened. I shot up, wide eyed as Jax stared me up and down. "Oh shit, um." He closed the door. My face was so goddamn red. _Had he never heard of knocking?!_ I quick pulled on a pair of the shorts and the grey shirt I cut.

I cleared my throat, "Uh, come in."

He slowly opened the door, "Sorry, I…uh. I…"

"You?"

"Yeah, I'm sorry. It's been a crazy morning with deliveries and I uh…I shouldn't have taken that out on you. Hope you aren't mad at me."

I sighed, "Don't worry about it."

He walked forward and grabbed my arm as I went to turn around, "No I mean it, let me make it up to you."

I curiously eyed him.

"We are having a party at my mom's place tonight. Big cookout with everyone and their families. Why don't you come and blow off some steam?"

"I'm really tired, Jax."

He smiled, "More reason to come. Come on. Just for a little while. I'll drive you back if you don't wanna stay."

"Fine."

"Good, be ready in ten minutes," he laughed.

"Ten minutes?!" I almost yelled.

He just laughed as he walked out the door. I ran after him. He was already to the clubhouse door. Lyla was sitting at the bar. A young boy with brown hair was sitting beside her. Must have been her son she'd been talking about. He looked just like her.

"Hey, Clair. You look cute!" she smiled.

"Thanks, do you have any make up? I feel like I look half dead," I laughed.

"Sure," she grabbed her purse. "Can I do it for you?"

I sighed, "Sure. You probably know a lot more about it than I do. Just don't do too much."

She pulled out some powder and buffed my face. She put some color on my eyes and lined them. She then curled my lashes with some mascara. "Lipstick?" she asked, holding up a bright red.

"I don't think that's my color."

"Sweetie, trust me. A bit of red would make you look perfect."

"Oh fine."

She rubbed the red onto my lips and told me to blend it. I dabbed it on a napkin. Jax walked back in the door.

"Hey are you ready to- Whoa." His eyes were big. He looked me up and down again.

I just smiled, feeling the blood bleed into my cheeks. I hugged Lyla and walked out the door, Jax following.


	7. Chapter 7: Drunk

I flipped my hair and put the helmet on. I turned to see Jax still staring. "What?" I laughed.

He blinked a few times. "Oh, uh, think I have a dent on my bike."

 _Uh huh. Sure. You were definitely looking at my ass._

He climbed on and I wrapped my arms around him. We drove down the main road from earlier, but turned before getting to that little restaurant. The storefronts began to fade into small saltbox houses. I began to notice more trees. Jax turned left down another road, and the houses got much nicer. It was obvious which house was his moms. There were two pickup trucks and at least 15 Harley's in the driveway. I could smell the grill burning. I got off the bike as he turned the engine off. I passed him the helmet.

"Your mom has a nice house," I commented.

"Her and my step-dad," he grumbled.

"Oh."

He led me to a wooden fence, opening the gate for me. The backyard had people in leather standing everywhere. I saw three coolers that were packed, the grill, two tables of food, and a pool.

"You didn't tell me it was a pool party!"

He laughed. "I thought you didn't wanna stay very long?"

Jax walked up behind a woman with grey streaks in her hair. She turned and gave him a big smile and hugged him. I recognized her. I talked to her this morning. He motioned for me to come over.

"Mom, this is-"

"I met you this morning. Clarian."

"Yeah, Clair's fine," I smiled. "I talked with her and… Bobby?" I asked.

She nodded. "We were talking for a bit. I hope you're hungry. There's tons of food, and I'm not filling my fridge. Clay has enough in there already." She handed me a paper plate. "Jackson, go get her some food."

He nodded to the table.

I laughed as I followed him over. "Jackson?"

He smiled and walked backward, "What?"

"Your name is Jackson, not Jax?"

"What's wrong with that?" he asked.

"You went from badass name to like old man name."

I grabbed a hot dog bun and picked up a bratwurst. I took a handful of chips and a spoonful of fruit salad. I watched as he got two hamburgers, chips, and baked beans. We walked over to a few tables that were set up on the deck. Jax took a seat next to Opie.

"Hey, brother," he said as he threw an arm around him.

Opie shoved him off playfully.

"Where's the ol' lady and the kids?"

"Kids are with mom, and Lyla's dropping off Piper before she comes over," Opie answered between mouthfuls of food.

"I'm getting a drink, you want something?" Jax asked looking at both of us.

"Beer," Opie said.

"Um, tea's fine."

"Aww, come on. It's a cookout. No drink?"

I laughed, "Fine, make it a long island. But don't overdo it."

He got up, "Alright."

I looked to Opie, "Thanks for getting me off the road last night."

He shook his head, "Just part of the job. Glad you are okay. Haven't heard much about you, other than what the guys have been saying."

I was amused, "And what's that?"

"The obvious."

I turned up my eyebrow.

"Basic body shape, hair, pretty. Got an attitude."

"Ouch, that hurts. Deep into the void of where my soul should be," I joked.

Opie almost spit out his food.

Jax tossed a beer can into Opie's lap.

"Fuck, Jax! It's gonna be all fizzed now. Dick."

He just laughed as he set down a tall glass in front of me.

I picked it up and took a swig. _Holy shit that's strong. It's been a long time since I've had any hard liquor. I'm keeping my wits._ I took a few bites of food. I wasn't really paying attention to how much I was sipping with the heat and between bites of food and conversation about euro and American car design. I went to take a sip, realizing the glass was empty. I giggled. "Whoops."

Jax's cheeks were a little red. "What?"

"I didn't mean to drink tonight. Oh well."

He set down his second beer can, which was now empty. The sun was just beginning to shine right on us, even though it was starting to go down. "I'm hot as fuck." He stripped off his white t shirt. _Jesus Christ. He's hot as hell. Those abs. Those tattoos make him even more attractive._ The grim reaper on his back, California on his hip line, and the words "Sons of Anarchy" on his shoulder blades just made him even hotter. His blonde hair fell on his large, muscular shoulders. I could feel my blood race. He undid the button on his jeans, exposing his grey boxers, and dove in the deep end. When he surfaced, he shook his wet hair and yelled out. Everyone started laughing and hollering along. "Come on!" he yelled to me.

I shook my head no. Juice pulled off his vest and shirt and kicked his pants into a pile. He jumped in and splashed us all. I laughed and pulled off my shirt and shorts. I jumped in with my black bra and blue panties. The water enveloped me. It felt amazing. I surfaced next to Jax and splashed him in the face. Soon enough, Opie, Lyla, Tig, Happy, and a few girls I didn't know were all enjoying the pool. The sun began to go down. Some twinkly lights turned on. Jax climbed out and grabbed another beer and refilled my glass. I practically chugged it. I couldn't remember the last time I'd actually let loose and had any fun. For years, I'd been solely focused on my grades. Grades to leave Indiana on my own. Grades to make grad school. Grades to graduate with honors and get my doctoral. All I did was study, eat, work, and sleep. I never went to a party. I went to a bar once with my friends to celebrate graduation from undergrad, but that was it. I had one drink and left to go home.

People began saying their goodbyes, leaving with kids. The older people stepped out too. I got out and dried myself off with a towel on the table. I went into the house, looking for a bathroom. I wandered around, finally finding it. I quick used the bathroom and opened the door, Jax waiting outside. I giggled as I walked into him. _I'm drunk as fuck._ I'd never been drunk. Jax looked just as bad as I probably did. He looked hot as hell with his shaggy wet hair and exposed torso.

I went to step past him and tripped on the floor trim. He stumbled backward into the wall. We both laughed, skin on skin. His drunken smile was cute. He put his hands on the top of my hips. The blood rushed, and my skin was electric. "Did you get me…d-drunk on purpose?" I stuttered.

"No, I…I didn't think you'd drink," he laughed.

"Shhhhh…don't tell anyone…but I'm drunk," I whispered.

"Noo, I'm drunk." He rubbed up my back with his hands. His blue eyes were looking through mine. "You're beautiful. You're like the prettiest girl I've ever seen."

I giggled, "You're an asshole, but I think you're…you're r-really sexy."

He smiled and ran a hand through my wet hair. He pulled me into him, his lips touching mine. It was a soft kiss. I pushed up on my tippy toes and wrapped my arms around his neck. I roughly kissed his lips. My body molded right into his. My hands traveled up to his hair, twirling it between my fingers. He pushed my hips back into the wall behind me, our lips parting for a moment. He kissed me harder, his tongue slipping into my mouth. It was a dance. His large, rough hand slid down my side to my thigh. He grabbed my ass, making me push my mouth harder into his. It was like I could feel every part of my body. It was like I couldn't get close enough to him. His hand moved back to my thigh, the other hand doing the same on my other thigh. He lifted me like I was nothing. He set me on his hips, leaning me back into the wall. His mouth trailed down my jaw and onto my neck. With every kiss, his mouth pulled at the skin, making my body shake. I stifled a moan. I guided his face back to my mouth. Biting his lip, I ran my hand down his chest. He grumbled. I wanted him. I need him.

A loud cough brought us out of the bubble. We both looked over, seeing Bobby standing down the hallway. "I uhh…was gonna see if you needed a lift back to the clubhouse, but uhh."

Jax put me down. "Um…Yeah, have Chibbs take my bike back. Let's get her back."

Bobby grumbled, "Uh huh," as he turned to head to the door then called down the hall, "You're clothes are outside."

We heard the sliding glass door shut. We both started laughing at the awkwardness. I felt dizzy. I leaned against Jax. We stumbled back outside and found our clothes. I slid my shirt and shorts back on, and he pulled on his. Bobby was waiting in a truck in the driveway. I climbed in and sat in the middle. Bobby gave a "humph", before putting the truck in reverse and starting the drive back.

"Hey, Bobby…I'm kinda…drunk," I whispered.

He rolled his eyes, "I can see that darling."

"Shhh, don't tell anyone," I laughed.

Jax leaned his head out the window. "SHE'S DRUNK," he yelled.

I giggled and playfully slapped his arm.

"Jesus Christ, you two. Get it together," Bobby growled. "Fucking drunken idiots."

Someone opened the gate at the garage for us. Bobby pulled up close the clubhouse. He got out and went to help me out, but I had already scooted my way across the seat to the passenger side.

"Let me help you," Jax said.

I hopped out and knocked us both to the pavement. We were a laughing mess. Somebody helped us up and led me back to the bedroom. I fell onto the bed and was out before I could say anything else.


	8. Chapter 8: The Morning After

My head hurt like it'd been smashed in the head with a baseball bat. I rolled over and instantly felt a burn rising in my chest. I flung my body out of the bed, denying my throbbing head and screaming muscles. Vomit spewed from my lips into the old porcelain toilet. My stomach lurched and I threw up again, and again. I brushed my hair back from my face. I was freezing cold and my fingers trembled. _This is why I never wanted to drink_. _This is miserable._ Each knock on the wooden door rattled in my head.

"Ugh," I pushed down another round of bile. "Come…in." I didn't bother to get up from the floor.

A pair of heels clicked on the floor. "Here sweetheart, you might need this."

I cracked open my eyes, seeing Gemma hovering in the doorway. In one hand she had a tall glass of water and a bottle of ibuprofen in the other. I graciously accepted. I put the pills in my mouth, cringing at the aftertaste of vomit still lingering. I took a tentative sip of the water, praying to some force that I wouldn't vomit again.

"You had an…interesting night, young lady," Gemma said accusatorily.

I glanced up at her dark eyes, "I don't ever drink. When I do, it's never more than a glass of wine. I haven't touched liquor in years."

Gemma scoffed, "Maybe take it easy next time."

"Tell Jax that," I mumbled.

She raised an eyebrow at me and turned to the door. "There's coffee out at the bar when you decide to get up." She closed the door behind her, leaving an uncomfortable air.

Maybe that was the queasiness, but something didn't sit right with the conversation Gemma and I had. She seemed almost annoyed. I shrugged it off and stood back up in front of the sink. The mirror definitely wasn't my friend this morning. My hair was a tangled and odd feeling mess thanks to the pool chlorine. I sighed and reached over the toilet to turn on the shower. I stripped off my clothes from yesterday and stepped under the weak stream of water. The lukewarm water helped me clear my head. It definitely helped remove the grimy feeling that clung to my skin. Too soon, the water began to run cold. I, reluctantly, stepped out of the shower and wrapped myself in a towel before I went back to the bedroom. I noticed clothes folded on the desk. I picked up the white shirt with the backdrop from Pink Floyd's _The Wall_ and changed into it and a pair of blue faded jean shorts. My hair was still a tangled mess, but I picked up my brush to go to the mirror and remove the stubborn knots.

I pulled my hair over my shoulder, stopping as a stark color difference caught my eye. _Oh shit_. I had vibrant purple patches on my neck. Pulling the collar down, I examined the trail of hickies extending down my collar bone. _Oh, maybe that's what Gemma was talking about. Oh FUCK. I kissed Jax last night. I didn't just kiss him; I was making out with him. It was more than just making out. How did we stop? Someone stopped us…right? Would we have gone further? Did I_ want _to go further? No. No. No. Claire, you were drunk. You are fucking stupid when you are drunk. It was nothing. NOTHING._

I sighed and composed myself. I grabbed my makeup bag and did my best to conceal the visible marks on my neck. With my hair still slightly damp, I braved the shame to go try and find some warm tea or something to ease the nausea. _Jesus_ , I thought as I walked into the bar area, _I'm a fucking feather of a lightweight compared to these people_. Everyone acted as if they hadn't even had a sip of alcohol, let alone the drunken stupor the majority of them had been in last night. I darted my eyes away as I caught Bobby's glance. _Bobby broke up Jax and I's little…interaction_. I could tell my face was burning bright red. At least Gemma wasn't around. I went behind the counter to retrieve a coffee mug and, to my surprise, found a box of green tea bags. I tossed the mug in the microwave.

I almost had a heart attack as I turned to see Tig right behind me. "Jesus! Tig! A little warning!"

He chuckled, "Sorry, doll. I just didn't think you were ever going to get up."

I looked at him confused, "What do you mean?"

"Sweetheart, its 3:20 in the afternoon."

My face burned again. "Oh…I don't really drink…much."

"We could tell, but that was the most fun we've had at one of those get togethers in a while. No one ever gets in the pool," he teased.

I heard the microwave beep behind me. I turned away, grateful to not have him examining my blushing face. I opened the microwave, recoiling at the touch of the steaming mug.

I heard Tig sigh, "Let me get it for you."

"No, Tig, you'll burn yourself!"

He rolled his eyes and picked it right up, and set it on the bar counter without a twitch. "You forget I work on cars and bikes for a living. Takes a lot more than a warm cup to make these hands hurt."

I mumbled a thanks as Tig turned to walk to the door.

I caught a glance of some blonde hair as I reached down to grab a spoon from the drawer. I found myself slightly disappointed when it was not Jax. It was some girl. Girl wasn't a good word. _Whore_. Her boobs were almost entirely pushed out of her shirt and her mini skirt barely covered her crotch. She looked like a stripper Barbie doll, all plastic.

She pursed her lips as she approached the counter. "Coffee, make it dirty, double cream, three sugars," she barked at me as she looked at something on her phone.

"Excuse me?" I demanded.

She glared up under her false lashes, "Are you stupid? Coffee. Now."

"Get it yourself," I said as I picked up my tea.

"Sugar! Sugar!" Bobby said as he walked up to the woman, arms stretched out.

She pouted her lips and gave him a wary hug.

"Sweetheart, what do you need?" he asked.

She glared at me, "Your errand girl sucks at her job. I need a coffee before I go down the warehouse."

I turned and glared right back, "I'm not an errand girl."

Bobby jumped right in before she could say anything, "She's a friend, sweetheart. The usual?" He stepped behind the counter and hastily grabbed a clean mug and the coffee pot.

"Make it double dirty," she cooed at Bobby. I thought he was going to drop the coffee.

I rolled my eyes and took a sip of my coffee. I turned on my heel, almost running into Jax's chest.

He quickly grabbed my mug with one hand and my arm with the other. "Shit, I'm sorry. I was just looking for you."

 _Work, brain._ "Here I am," I stammered. _That was stupid._

"Yeah, here you are. Why don't you come with me, outside for minute?" he asked.

I nodded and followed him to the door. I noticed he had on almost the same outfit as yesterday, the only difference was that he had a blue flannel over his white t shirt, his vest over that. He opened the door for me and led the way to a set of tables under the awning. He took a seat on one side, and I sat across from him. He brushed his hair back with one hand and then set both hands together on the table top.

"Look about last night-" he started.

"No its fine," I cut him off. "I was really drunk. It was nothing. Don't worry about it."

He seemed totally taken off guard. "Oh. Alright, then."

I didn't think that's where he wanted this conversation to go, but I couldn't let this get out of hand. I had a life to return to and **this** was not something I could afford to get tangled in.

"No worries. Are we good?" I asked.

He seemed to ponder that for a moment, "Yeah, we're good."

I was desperate to change the topic. "Who's the tramp in the bar?" I scoffed.

He smirked. "Sugar."

I raised an eyebrow, "Sugar?"

He laughed to himself, "She's one of our Cara-Cara girls." I guess he realized that I didn't make any connection. He seemed a little embarrassed, "She does porn."

I almost spit out my tea. "What?"

"She does porn. Cara-Cara is a porn studio."

"You said _our_ Cara-Cara girls," I restated.

He adjusted his seat on the bench, "Yeah, the Sons run a porn studio to make some extra cash for the club."

I couldn't really make words. "You…aren't…"

He smiled at me, "No, I'm not a porn star. I don't do that."

"Good- I mean that's good that you…don't… I mean for-" I stuttered.

"It's fine. I understand the potential correlation. I just handle the business matters."

I nodded, obviously uncomfortable. I turned to the driveway as I heard a car. It was a Cadillac. Gemma stepped out and then opened the rear door. She picked up a kid and then set him down. The little boy looked around two or three years old. He asked Gemma something and then came running toward us. He ran straight to Jax. I looked at Jax, seeing one of the biggest smiles on his face.

"Hey, buddy!" Jax said as he picked up the boy in a hug. "Did you have a good day?"

The boy nodded and laughed as Jax tickled his side. Jax set him back down, the boy ran back to Gemma who took his hand and walked him into the bar.

Jax was still beaming.

"Who's kid?" I asked.

That seemed to make Jax a little uncomfortable. "He's mine."

I felt dirty. Awful. But then I looked at Jax's hands, which he was rubbing together. He didn't have a ring.

"Oh, what's his name?"

"Abel," Jax smiled again.

"His mom?" I asked, not looking him in the eyes.

He took a deep breath, "She's not in the picture."

"Oh."

"Look, his mom and I were young and we were married and some bad shit happened. I'm doing my best, but my mom watches him most of the time while I work," he said.

I nodded, still not looking at him. I only broke my stare at my mug when Jax stifled a laugh. I looked up at him, raising an eye brow. He had one hand over his mouth. He got up from his bench and walked over to me. I looked up at his eyes, wondering what he was doing. He brushed my hair behind my ear. It took everything out of me not to lean into his touch, despite the tremor that ran down my spine. He ran a hand down the back of my neck, his thumb tracing the trail down my neck. He smirked.

"I guess we did get a bit carried away," he mumbled.

My face burned even more. "So, any news on my car?"

He pulled his hand back, "Agent should be out tomorrow." His brow furrowed. He turned and walked to the garage without saying anything else. I saw him pull a pack of cigarettes out of his back pocket as he walked.

 _What have I gotten myself into?_


	9. Chapter 9: Bedtime Stories

I sat outside at the table for what seemed like forever. Jax didn't leave the garage. I watched as Gemma led the boy back to her car. I couldn't help but notice his hair was the same color as Jax's, and he had the same beautiful, round, blue eyes. He seemed liked such a sweet, but shy kid. My mind drifted and I pictured Jax pushing the little boy on a swing. Both of their faces were exuberant, and the sunlight perfectly highlighted their blonde hair. Jax's eyes looked up from the swing and burned deeply into mine.

I was shaken from my daydream by Lyla. She smiled down at me. "Hey, I was going to get some dinner. I think the guys are going to be doing stuff for the club tonight, so we are on our own. Do you want to come with me?"

"Oh, sure," I said.

She started to walk back to the bar, freezing and turning back to me as she bit her lip, "Um, I forgot to mention. I promised to watch the kids. Do you mind?"

I hesitated, "Yeah. That's fine."

She gave me a smile that said _you're a lifesaver_. We walked into the bar and I waited in the doorway as Lyla walked to a table where three kids sat coloring. She brushed a young boy's hair back and spoke something to the group. The kids put their crayons back on the table and followed her back to me. Lyla looked down at the kids, "Guys, this is my good friend, Claire. She's coming to dinner with us."

I looked down at the two little boys and the little girl and gave a warm smile, "Hi."

Lyla smiled, and I understood that the kids were shy. She introduced the kids, Kenny, Ellie, and Piper. "Okay, you guys. Come on, let's go home."

Lyla and I followed the little troop of kids out the door and over toward her little four door car. "They seem like good kids too. They didn't back talk or anything," I murmured to Lyla.

She halfheartedly smiled, "Thanks."

I was a little surprised by her response, but I understood as soon as she said, "I do the best I can for them." _Lyla is their mom_.

"You are obviously a great mom."

She looked like she wanted to say something, but held back. We made sure the kids were all buckled in and then climbed in the front. We drove across town to a quaint little house. We funneled the kids in the front door, and I followed her to the kitchen. She went straight to the pantry and pulled out a box of mac n cheese.

"Are you okay?" I asked.

She glanced up and then sighed, "I'm fine."

I raised an eyebrow at her. She placed a pot on the stove and met my gaze. She knew I wasn't going to give up just yet.

"No, I am fine. I'm just really…" she sighed again, "I just have a lot to deal with right now."

I pulled a chair up to the counter, "Anything I can help with? My ears are open if you need to vent."

She seemed to silently ponder my offer as she poured the noodles into the pot. "Look, being in the club is already a lot to deal with. People just think I'm some dirty biker's ole lady…"

"Lyla, you don't seem like the kind of girl who's feathers get ruffled by something as trivial as the public view of your husband."

She sheepishly smiled. "Thanks." She glanced down the hallway. "I'm just…people already didn't see me in a good light. And now that I have Opie's kids to take care of too-"

"I assumed they were all yours," I interjected.

"No, only Piper is mine. Opie was married. His wife…well she's gone. Opie was really torn up. It's one thing to go young…but Ope's wife was murdered by some gang members retaliating against the club. They thought she was him. She was driving his truck that night. The kids weren't told what happened, just that their mom had passed away."

I had to resist my jaw dropping. "That's…that's so horrible. I'm sorry. That must be difficult for you taking on two more kids, and helping Opie get over something that traumatic."

I couldn't see Lyla's reaction. She had picked up the pot and was draining the noodles. She waited a long moment before turning around. "It was a lot. It was only ever Piper and me. I already had people looking down on me."

"There's nothing shameful about being a single mom."

"It's not just that," she bit her lip. "I do…I get paid to shoot porn. That's how I paid for everything. I could make a lot of money in only a few hours. Why work as a waitress and earn maybe a few hundred a week when I can shoot porn for a few hours and make four grand?"

"I mean, that's not my cup of tea, but you made sure you and your kid had a roof over your heads and food in your mouths. People don't always understand the choices other people make, and their first instinct is to mock or shun them. It's a bunch of bullshit if you ask me."

Lyla stifled a laugh. She pulled down a few plates and started to put the mac and cheese on them. I picked up the two plates she had and set them on the table. "Thanks," she said. "COME ON GUYS. DINNERS READY!" she called down the hallway.

I could hear the clank of plastic toys hitting the ground. The three kids came trotting in the kitchen and each sat down at the table. Lyla and I sat on the opposite side of the table. She began asking the kids how their days were at school. As the pasta began to disappear from their plates, the kids began to open up a little more. They talked about their art projects and reading assignments. Lyla joked that I should tell them a bedtime story, since the kids already knew all of her stories. The front door opened, and all I saw was little blonde locks coming toward us.

"Sorry, Lyla! I gotta go help Clay. I'll come get him later!" Gemma's voice rang from the door before it closed.

Abel came around the corner and took the seat next to Piper. Lyla smiled at him. "Abel, do you want some mac and cheese?"

He shook his head no.

"Did you already have dinner with grandma?"

He shook his head up and down.

"Okay. Well we are about to get ready for bed. How about we have a big sleep over in the living room?" she offered.

Cheers from the kids told us that was a yes. The kids finished their dinner and started toward the living room. Lyla gave me one of those "help" looks. I winked and followed the kids. I sat down on the floor with them and played with some little toy cars with them. Just as Kenny was about to wreck his little toy truck in Ellie's pink Barbie car, Lyla came in with a handful of sleeping bags.

"Okay, guys. Time to get ready for bed. Kenny, Ellie, Piper- go get on your PJ's." The kids hopped up, leaving Abel with all the cars. He started to make the little motorcycle he had chase a cop car.

Lyla began to lay out the sleeping bags. "Abel, shoes off."

He reached down to his toes and tried to undo the laces, but I could tell he didn't quite have enough dexterity, yet.

"Abel, would you like me to help you take off your shoes?" I asked.

He looked at me with wide eyes. He stared at me for a moment, glanced at Lyla, and then nodded.

"Okay, come here," I said as I patted the couch beside me.

He walked over and hopped up onto the chair. I pulled the laces loose and slid off his little black chuck taylors. Lyla handed Abel a blanket as the other kids came back in and chose their sleeping bags. It took me a moment to realize they were all staring at me.

"Bedtime story?" I asked.

"I'm gonna go do some laundry and finish the dishes. You guys better behave." Lyla stepped out of the room.

With all of their little eyes eagerly watching, I started my bedtime story.

"Okay…Once upon a time, a beautiful maiden was traveling to a faraway kingdom. She was traveling in order to learn very important information that could save thousands of lives in her home kingdom. While she was already late to meet the special council who would give her the information, when her beautiful white horse threw a shoe! The maiden had to stop, for fear she would hurt her horse. She tried her best, but she wasn't strong enough to fix it on her own. Out of the west, a handsome knight came thundering up on his black steed. He stopped his horse, and offered to help the maiden. After helping her horse, she continued on her way to meet the council, still thinking about the handsome knight. She made it to the faraway kingdom and the council provided her the information she needed. Alas, it was late, but the young maiden was eager to return home to begin saving lives! She set off in the night, a storm on the horizon. The wind began to blow, and rain began to pour from the sky, thunder and lightning all around. She couldn't see the path anymore. Suddenly, her horse was struck by another horse, and she fell to the ground. Her horse was hurt, and she couldn't continue. She cried out for help, and to her surprise, the handsome knight came riding up to her aid. He brought her horse back to his feet, and offered her a ride to the nearest kingdom to rest until her horse could recover. They rode through the stormy night, until they returned to a small little kingdom. He took her to a small pub in the town and offered her a place for the night, and a stable for her horse. The maiden woke in the morning, only to find her horse needed more than a day to recover enough to take her back home. The maiden spent more time with young knight, and she began to feel something she thought she couldn't feel. The knight was undeniably handsome, and he made her stomach flutter with butterflies. The maiden needed to return to her kingdom, but one night after dinner, she found herself alone with the knight. The knight leaned close, and kissed the maiden. Her heart began to race, and she felt as though she was flying. She knew she needed to return to her kingdom, but she wanted desperately to stay. But she had to return home. The maiden had to continue her journey. She said goodbye to the handsome knight, hoping one day, their paths might cross again."

I realized I had zoned out as I told the story. I looked down to see the three children on the floor were sound asleep. I realized Abel had fallen asleep with his head on my thigh. I brushed back a strand of his golden hair, admiring his beautiful face.

"That was a lovely story," a gruff voice whispered in my ear.

My body vibrated. I turned swiftly, realizing I still had Abel in my lap. I carefully got up, resting his head on the pillow beside me. I turned to see Jax, whose eyes were boring into mine. I had to resist the urge to touch his face. He glanced down at Abel.

"Why don't you come with me? My mom is gonna get him in a little bit since he has school tomorrow. I just wanted to check on him. I have a spare bedroom at my house. I figured you might not wanna stay at the clubhouse again…I have a clean bathroom too."

The idea of a clean bathroom was very appealing. "Sure, that'd be nice."

He cocked his head toward the door. I took a step toward the door, pausing to watch as he leaned down to kiss Abel's head. He opened the front door for me and we stepped out into the night air. My bare skin froze at the feeling of wind. He placed a hand on the small of my back, "Here, you can wear my jacket." He shrugged out of his leather jacket and held it out for me.

"Are you sure? Won't you be cold?" I asked.

He smirked, "I'll be fine."

I turned around and put my arms through the sleeves. I felt complete relief as I drank in the warmth of the leather and his cologne. He handed me a helmet from the saddlebag. We climbed on his Harley, and it roared to life underneath us. I put my feet on the rear pegs and my arms around his waist. He backed out of the driveway, and we started down the road. There was something so peaceful about the streetlights passing by, with my arms around Jax. I rested my chin on the back of his shoulder blade. We finally pulled into the driveway of a small house. I wasn't ready to, but I let go of him. I took off the helmet and handed it to him. He helped me off the bike and I followed him to the door. I took off the jacket once inside and gave it back. He hung it on a peg.

"Do you want anything?" he said as he walked toward the kitchen.

"I'm alright, thanks." I stepped into the living room and sat on the couch. I leaned my head back against the couch with a sigh. I felt the couch sink beside me. I looked up at Jax, who was studying my face. "What?"

"That story you were telling the kids…"

My brows pushed together, "What about it?"

"Is that really how you want this to go?" he asked.

"What do you mean?"

His lips smashed together into a thin line, "I mean, I fix your car and you run home, and I never hear from you again?"

My head was swimming, and my heart pounding, "Jax…"

"No, if that's what you want," he got up and started to head toward the hall.

"Jax!" I jumped up and grabbed his forearm.

He turned slowly to look at me. "You know; you piss me off."

My eyes widened and I dropped my hand.

"I never know what the hell you are thinking or what you want. You sat there and told my kid this story about how you didn't want to leave me, but you do anyway. I got these signals from you and then you turn back around and do the exact opposite of what I think you will."

I looked into his eyes, "Jax, I'm not trying to be difficult. It's just…better off if we."

"If we what?" he spat.

"If this doesn't go any farther. I have to return to my life. I like you…and I wish…" I felt my eyes welling up. "Look, it's just best if we don't push this any farther."

His eyes were cold.

I felt the tears almost spill. I swiftly turned and went back to the couch, sitting with my arms crossed over my chest. _What the hell is wrong with me?_

I heard the floor creek as he walked over to me. He pulled my arms apart and pulled me onto my feet. I tried to push past him, but his large hands wrapped around my biceps.

"Claire."

I turned my face away from him, clenching my eyes closed.

His grip loosened.

I pushed out of his grasp and headed to the door. I grabbed the door knob, but my arm was yanked back, twisting my body. My face was inched from Jax's. He leaned in and firmly pressed his lips against mine. He pulled back, his eyes searching mine. _Stop, Claire. You can't do this. You need to go home…You…His…_ I couldn't think straight, but my body knew exactly what it wanted. _Him_.


	10. Chapter 10: Something

I just couldn't help myself. I pushed my body against his, my lips pressing against his. His hands wrapped around my hips and pushed my back against the door. My hands glided up his body to his hair, one hand finding a fist full, the other grasping at the side of his face. His hips molded against mine, his hands pulling my tightly body against his. His tongue slipped into my mouth, and my head was no longer in charge of what was happening. My body was entirely running on its own whims.

I let go of him, my hands moving to his t shirt hem line. I pulled it up, and he released me just long enough to slide it over his head. He pushed himself back against me, his lips on my neck. My head tilted back in pleasure. I ran my hands down his abs, enjoying the curvature of every muscle. I shuttered as I felt the tips of his fingers on my stomach, as his fingers curled under the hemline of my shirt. He pulled it over my head. He grabbed my hand and took me back to the bedroom. I wasn't feeling patient. I reached out and grabbed his face in my hands, eager to bring his mouth back to mine. Jax smoothly took me back in his arms, and broke our kiss only to sit back on the bed. He pulled me onto his lap, his hands taking my hips in their grasp. I pushed my lips against his, my body craving every caress of his hands, wishing I could get closer to him. His lips left mine, trailing down my neck. His tongue glided over my collarbone. One hand reached my midback, and my bra released. He pulled it off, tossing it to the floor. He twisted his body, one arm around me, holding me against him, as we rolled back onto the bed. He paused for a moment, his eyes staring into mine. He brushed a strand of hair away from my eyes.

His lips touched the side of my neck, and trailed down to my waist. I leaned forward, and pushed him off me. He looked confused for a moment, but I stood up and took his belt in my hands. He had a smirk on his face as he watched my hands. He put his hands on either side of mine, undoing the button of my shorts. His jeans dropped to the floor. He grabbed my shorts, pulling them down, and letting them fall to the floor. We kicked them off and he pushed me back onto the bed. We spent a few moments like that, making out on the bed like a pair of teenagers. It was a new sensation, the feeling of his bare skin against mine, a wonderful feeling. My heart was racing and my head was a complete fog. The only thing it could process was how wonderful his touch felt. The hand that was caressing my side ventured down my thigh, and back up. His palm glided over the peak of my pelvis. The kiss paused for a moment, absolute torture. His palm swept back over my panties, my hips pushing into his touch. My breath caught as his hand pulled the silk fabric away, and down my leg. Agonizingly slow, the side of his hand brushed up my shin and up to my pelvis. I caught my breath as his fingers caressed me. He placed one gentle kiss on my lips and then ventured to my neck. His teeth caught the skin on my neck, making my whole-body shake. I was on fire. Every inch of my skin was a live wire. _I want him. Now._ My hands traveled down his sides, my thumbs slipping in the fabric of his boxers on either side of his hips.

I pushed his boxers off, his hands doing to the rest. I opened my eyes, taking in his beauty for a moment. _Good God, this beautiful man, in this moment, is all mine._ I felt him against me. "Jax," I gasped.

He softly pressed his lips against mine, "Yes, beautiful?"

I swallowed the lump in my throat, "Safety."

He gave me a toothy grin. He rolled off me, and went to the bedside table. I heard him ruffle a few things in the drawer, and the crumple of a plastic wrapper. I seized the moment to catch my breath. He climbed back on top of me, his fingertips running from my chin, down my chest, to my pelvis. My whole body stiffened as his hips pushed against mine. He leaned down, kissing my chest. My stomach felt like a giant knot. I grabbed his shoulders as his hips moved us. I let out a shuttered breath, feeling on fire and freezing to death at the same moment. My nails were digging into his shoulders, but he didn't seem to mind. My abs were beginning to tighten, but Jax continued the torture by slowing his rhythm. I couldn't stifle a moan as he pulled back and ran his hand down my torso. I peeked under my eyelashes as lowered his face between my thighs. I let out a whimper, the feeling of his tongue against me was making me shake with every movement. I ran my fingers over his scalp, my hands grasping his hair as I felt the pulsing in my abdomen grow stronger. He paused for a moment, bringing himself against me. As we began to rock the bed again, Jax took my face in one of his hands. I opened my eyes, looking straight into those beautiful blue oceans. I grabbed his shoulders as my whole body was beginning to tremor. He moved faster, and the muscles in my abdomen began to feel like they would tear if they tightened anymore. My chest pushed against his, my back arching off the bed as I caught my breath.

I couldn't feel anything. My head had fireworks exploding inside its walls. My every fiber gave away. It was like everything went beautifully numb. He placed his lips one…two…three times softly against mine. I couldn't even find the ability to open my eyes. My breath finally began to return to my chest. The fog that had penetrated my veins began to fade, bringing in a sense of exhaustion. Jax's hand caressed the side of my face, I leaned into his touch.

A ball of orange light peaked through my lids. I squinted as I slowly cracked open my tired eyes. I closed them again, pulling the comforter closer. I lay there for a few moments, until I heard a gentle snore beside me. Alarmed, my eyes shot open. I didn't recognize this room. I glanced to the floor, seeing my clothes… I peeked over my shoulder. With his blonde hair hanging in thin strands over the side of his face, and the sunlight shining innocently on his tan skin, I could have mistaken Jax for an angel.

I pulled myself closer to him, resting my lips gently against his cheek. He pulled in a deep breath and let out a grumble. His eyes opened and a wide grin spread across his mouth. "Hey," he roughly whispered.

"Hey," I smiled. "Last night was…"

"That was something," he laughed.

"Yeah, something," I blushed. "I had a…good time."

He smirked, "I would have never known from how loud you were…Oh shit, time. What time is it?" He looked over my shoulder at the clock. "Shit, I'm late." He threw himself out of the bed, scooping his jeans off the floor and pulling them on.

"Where are you going?" I asked.

"Stuff for…for work. Sorry," he said as he threw a t shirt on. "I have to run. I'm sorry." He hurried over, grabbing my face firmly in both hands, planting a kiss on my lips. "I'll be back."

"Okay," I whispered as he rushed out the door. I heard him fumble with his boots and the door slamming behind him. I glanced out the window, seeing him pull his vest on as he approached his bike. He had barely even put his butt on the seat, before his motorcycle fired up and was roaring down the road. I sighed to myself. I was alone. Great.


End file.
